Characteristics of nursing homes that close.

This study examined closures in the nursing home industry from 1992 to 1998. Data used in this investigation primarily came from the Online Survey Certification and Recording (OSCAR) system, representing 13,212 nursing homes. Descriptive analysis showed 607 nursing homes closed during this time. Our results are important. On the one hand, the results show that nursing homes are sensitive to their operating environment; on the other hand, the likelihood of closure is very small, representing less than 1 percent of facilities per year.